"It would be good to know that we did everything we could on our part. And we did it on time, we were not late," says Edmundas Jakilaitis, one of the ambassadors of the RADAROM campaign, a television journalist, and founder of the volunteer aid coordination center "Strong Together." He has no doubt that we cannot get tired of supporting Ukraine.
For the fourth time, Lithuania is holding a solidarity event with Ukraine RADAROM campaign. Throughout the entire year of the campaign, Lithuanians donated more than 25 million euros to Ukraine.
In memory of the war in Ukraine 11th anniversary, February 23 in Vilnius Lukiškiai square Eleven symbolic bonfires will be lit. Here will be held concert "Freedom Shines 2025. ON RADAROM". The stage of the Unity and Solidarity Campaign will feature stories of people affected by war, testimonies, insights from public leaders, speeches by distinguished guests, and songs that bring hope.
Exceptional performances for the concert are being prepared by Monika Liu, the group "ba.", Kastytis Kerbedis, Gamka and Vidas Bareikis, Raminta Naujanytė-Bjelle, Monika Pundziūtė, Džiugas Širvys and Iglė, Ieva Narkutė, the group "Abudu", the group "Baltos varnos", Jeronimas Milius, the group "Voiceless".
The concert will also feature opera performers Rafailas Karpis, Ieva Barbora Juozapaitytė, the boys' and youth choir "Ąžuoliukas" led by Vytautas Miškinis, and the choir "Vilnius Voices".
"The talks between the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, that have begun may send a message that peace is just around the corner. However, I would not be so sure," says one of the concert hosts, E. Jakilaitis. "So far, there is no evidence that these talks would reduce the threat of war. It is not known how long they will last, how they will end, it is obvious that as long as Ukraine is able to defend its land, we will have peace. The RADAROM campaign is the best way to respond to international events."
One of the concert organizers, Agnė Zalanskaitė, remembers February 2022, 24, when the world woke up to a new reality. “That morning, I was woken up by messages on my mobile phone. My friends and I were planning a solidarity action with the fighting Ukraine on Latvių Street called “Freedom Shines” – a rally near the occupier’s embassy. Within a few hours, it became a live television broadcast, spreading a huge wave of solidarity across Lithuania. In Vilnius, several tens of thousands of people gathered at Independence Square, and the procession moved towards the embassy. Every hour, information was circulating about municipalities in other cities joining this initiative. On the evening of February 24, all of Lithuania came out to the squares of their cities and towns for Ukraine,” A. Zalanskaitė tells about the events that took place three years ago.
Having never stopped supporting Ukraine all these years, A. Zalanskaitė boldly says that the Ukrainian struggle has dragged on for too long. “We will give this, we will not give that, and what will we get in return – such statements simply drive us crazy,” she says, adding that everyone must remember that the freedom Lithuania won is not a given.
The organizer of the support concert is convinced that the issue of Ukraine's freedom is also an issue of our freedom: "If we don't win thousands of kilometers away, we may have to defend ourselves here, but the forecasts for the fight are much bleaker. Lithuania does not have territorial depth, the society is not as ready to defend itself as Ukraine was in 2022. We must win in Ukraine. Both the state and the citizens for Ukrainians must help in whatever way they can. Each of us, business leaders, civil servants, decision-makers. We cannot wait for a miracle that someone will do something, this is a matter of our future and well-being. The sacrifice of each of us makes the fighting conditions easier for Ukrainian soldiers in their unequal fight."
A support concert in Vilnius' Lukiškės Square will raise funds for much-needed drones and anti-drones in the war. The organizers of the campaign are also inviting the public, especially business organizations, to contribute.
"We must understand that what is happening in Ukraine today is directly related to the security of our country. Money is the least we can do today," says concert host E. Jakilaitis. He will be assisted on stage by LRT presenter Gerūta Griniūtė.
Concert "Freedom Shines 2025. ON RADAROM" - February 23 at Lukiškės Square - from 17.30:18.00 p.m. Live broadcast on LRT and LRT.lt - from XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.
